Georgia aims to meet EU membership criteria by 2030, says Parliament Committee Chair

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday expressed confidence that Georgia would implement all necessary reforms to meet the European Union's accession criteria by 2030.

In an interview with a Romanian outlet, when asked about Georgia’s current progress toward EU membership, Samkharadze acknowledged that while the country was not yet ready to join the bloc, significant steps were being taken to align with EU standards.

“Georgia has the status of a candidate country. Of course, at this time, we are not ready to become a member of the Union, but we believe that in the next 5 years, specifically by 2030, we will implement all the necessary reforms to meet the membership criteria, so that by 2030 we will be ready to join the European Union”, the Parliament official said.

He further added, “The question arises whether the European Union itself is ready for enlargement, considering the challenges it currently faces”.

Georgia was granted EU membership candidate status in December 2023, marking a significant milestone in its European integration efforts. The Government has since committed to a series of political, economic, and legal reforms to align with EU standards.